Postal Services Warns Shipping Deadlines Drawing Near For Christmas Gift Delivery

SUGAR LAND, TX -- The clock is ticking as deadlines to ship Christmas packages and cards to family and friends draws to a close, but the United States Postal Service, along with private carriers, will help you ship gifts all across the country.
About 16 billion pieces of mail, including 750 million packages, will be delivered this holiday season, says the Postal Service; that's a 12 percent increase in volume compared to last year. To meet demand, the agency is hiring more than 35,000 seasonal employees to help process and deliver cards and packages.
Items will be delivered seven days a week by post office carriers, and more than five million packages are expected to be delivered each Sunday in December. Mail carriers will also deliver packages on Christmas Day in some locations.
To ensure your gifts arrive by Dec. 24, follow these shipping deadlines announced by the USPS.
Here are the Postal Service deadlines:

• Dec. 15 – Standard Post
• Dec. 20 – First Class Mail
• Dec. 21 – Priority Mail
• Dec. 23 – Priority Mail Express

The USPS website has more information on international and military Christmas 2016 shipping deadlines.
The folks at the post office will try to make shipping gifts easier for you, offering package tracking and free package pickup, so you don’t have to make the trek to the post office and wait on line. Find nearby USPS offices online.
FedEx
Here are your last days to ship with FedExExpress, FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery so your shipments arrive on or before Sunday, Dec. 25:

• Dec. 12: FedEx SmartPost (this option does not provide “day-definite” delivery; usually takes between two to seven business days to ship).
• Dec. 16: FedEx Home Delivery and FedEx Ground
• Dec. 20: FedEx Express Saver
• Dec. 21: FedEx 2 Day and 2 Day A.M.
• Dec. 22: FedEx Standard Overnight, FedEx Priority Overnight and FedEx First Overnight
• Dec. 23: FedEx SameDay City (Standard)
• Dec. 25: FedEx SameDay City (Priority) and FedEx SameDay

With FedEx SameDay service and other expedited services, you can ship on Christmas Day. FedEx SameDay is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for most urgent shipments. Visit the FedEx locator to find the closest store near you.
UPS
Here are the last days to ship via UPS's services to make sure your packages arrive by Dec. 25:

• Dec. 19 if you’re using UPS 3 Day Select (delivery on Friday, Dec. 23)
• Dec. 21 if you ship with UPS 2nd Day Air (delivery on Friday, Dec. 23)
• Dec. 22 using UPS Ground (depending on origin/destination); UPS 2nd Day Air (delivery on Friday, Dec. 23)
• Dec. 23 if you use UPS Next Day Air Packages (with Saturday delivery)
• Dec. 24 if you use UPS Express Critical
Up-to-date transit time details are available at ups.com/ctc. Identify the nearest UPS drop-off location online. The package arrived on time, but not in one piece. With the stress of getting items to the post office on time, don’t forget to pack your boxes carefully. Protect fragile items with bubble wrap or crumpled kraft paper; use new or almost new corrugated cardboard boxes; and seal every seam with sturdy package tape to ensure precious cargo remains secure.
Photo courtesy of the United States Postal Service.
Story Written by Deb Belt, Patch Staff